


Coffin Hogger

by Satosen



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-27
Updated: 2015-04-18
Packaged: 2018-03-24 16:44:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,382
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3775960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Satosen/pseuds/Satosen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Undertaker becomes bored with the world and takes on an assistant to liven things up a bit at his parlor~<br/>warning BxB in latter chapters</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Assistance Needed

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING:  
> Gore / Intercourse maybe or at least hintings / Foul language / & Boy x Boy (BxB)

  It is a fairly boring day for once at the Undertaker’s parlor and he found himself to be quite lonely. The young earl Ciel Phantomhive struts into his parlor, with his chin held high and his chest puffed up to look intimidating and important, and is followed by his demonic butler that is smiling in his usual fashion. Ciel blinks in surprise to see The Undertaker out in the open and laying on one of his many coffins rather than slinking about trying to scare people. The Undertaker sighs boredly and sits up slowly.  
  “And what can I do u for this dreary morning my young earl?” His voice almost seems sterile innove itself and seems to have lost its joy. Ciel steps back slightly and looks to Sebastian in concern who in turn steps up to the Undertaker.  
  “Is something the matter?” Sebastian’s voice is slightly calculating as he looks at the Undertaker for the answer. He chuckles emptily as he looks at Sebastian.  
  “I seem to have finally lost all of my excitement…” Sebastian blinks in confusion at the response given to him.  
  “I’m afraid that I don’t quite understand…” The Undertaker chuckles lightly but still emptily.  
  “I’m saying all of the entertainment I once found in this world is finally gone. I’m finally noticing just how bitterly alone I am and how useless I am…” The Undertaker sighs and lays back on his coffin again. “Nothin’ but empty corpses and a dusty shop to keep me company…” Sebastian looks to Ciel with concern. Ceil looks back at him with a look that says ‘do something you idiot’. Sebastian then sighs and looks back to the Undertaker.  
  “Might I suggest getting an assistant? Keeping someone around to help you with the shop might just be the… ‘thrill?’ you require.” The Undertaker looks up at him in slight interest.  
  “An assistant you say? But who would want to work with me among the dead?” Sebastian puts a hand to his chin and scrunches his brow as he thinks and Ciel sighs loudly to get both of their attentions.  
  “If you were to add a small section to the papers saying that you are hiring or put a sign in front of your shop then I’m sure someone would come to take the job. England is short of jobs for its surplus of people. I’m sure any number of England’s jobless people would be willing to work here with you for any amount you would pay them.” Ciel raises his chin in his proud glow of actually knowing something of the matter. Sebastian looks to the Undertaker again.  
  “My young master is correct. There are plenty of people that would be more than willing to come work for you here.” The Undertaker pauses then nods sitting up again.  
  “I suppose you are correct. Now, about the most recent bodies.” He seems to have become a little more enthusiastic. Ciel and Sebastian both sigh in relief at having broken up the awkward tension of having the Undertaker depressed. “Each one of them seems to have been hit repeatedly with a blunt object to the base of their spines before being brutally beaten in the backs of their heads.” Sebastian and Ciel frown and listen intently.  
  “Why would he go to such an extent to cripple them as such?” Ciel asks confusedly.  
  “I would suppose that it has something to do with the killer’s rush from the chase~ That never lasting thrill that makes your blood boil with excitement~” The Undertaker giggles a bit regaining more of his old self as he talks to them. Sebastian puts his hand to his chin in thought.  
  “The killer first picks his victim from off the street then instills fear into them by stalking and then gradually makes his moves closer until he chases them into a corner and beats them to death with a metal pipe…”  
  “But why a metal pipe?” Ciel questions confusedly and Sebastian nods.  
  “It might be of personal effects that he kills in this way~” The Undertaker giggles lightly and Sebastian nods.  
  “Yes, I suppose you could be right, and if that is the case then we have a habitual killer that should be easy enough to catch now that we know his preferences and local kill spot.” Ciel smirks.  
   “Then I’ll leave the rest to you Sebastian~” He has a slight twinkle in his eye that makes Sebastian smirk as well as he bows down on one knee.  
  “Yes, My lord~” They two of them then leave the Undertaker’s parlor and the Undertaker himself to slide back into lonely silence.  
**_> ;3 Time Skip C:<_**  
  The Undertaker sighs as he puts up a small wooden sign saying ‘Assistance needed’ the paint is dripped a bit to look more scary and there is a small cute black skull painted off to the side because he got bored.  
  “Will this even work?” He mumbles to himself as he walks back into his parlor and gets to work fixing up a few of his coffins as he waits for anything to happen.


	2. Zack Keissath

 An entire day has passed since the Undertaker put that sign up in front of his parlor and he sighs in disappointment. What with the way Sebastian and Ciel had worded it he couldn't have helped but get his hopes up now only for them to go down again. He is laying in one of his many comfortably lined coffins as he dozes off lightly and waits for anything to happen. Every minute feels like an eternity as he waits in the stifling stillness of his home.

  The door opens and his bell rings electing a light sigh from the Undertaker’s lips as he sits up in his coffin.  
  “What might I do for you on this particularly dreary evenin'?” He droles it out emotionlessly as he looks up at the young man standing in front of his door. The guy has short brown hair that reaches just below his shoulders and bangs that cover the left side of his face while framing the other side nicely. He’s wearing peasant clothing and is roughed up a bit with smudges of dirt covering patches of his pale skin.  
  “U-um I-I was w-wondering i-if th-the a-assistant’s j-job w-was s-still o-open h-here?” His voice is quiet and a bit shaky as he fidgets and keeps his electric blue eye to the floor. The Undertaker steps out of his coffin and walks up to the boy who is a few inches shorter than him.  
  “Are you sure you want such a job?” The Undertaker snakes a long slim black nail under the boy’s chin and lifts it to look into the boy’s eyes. “You seem quiet young to be in such a crude business…” The boy blinks and looks up at him his eyes shaking lightly as he swallows to get courage.  
  “I-I a-am sure s-sir…” Undertaker stares into the boy’s eye for a minute before retracting his hand.  
  “If you are sure then the first thing we’ll have to do is clean you up.” He smiles a bit and the boy blinks in surprise.  
  “R-really?” He asks in surprise and the Undertaker nods.  
  “I’ll show you were the wash room is~” Undertaker giggles a bit as he hooks his arm with the boy’s and starts to lead him to the back rooms.  “Whatever is your name child?~” Seems to becoming his giggling strange self again making the boy smile a bit.  
  “I-it’s Z-zack sir. Zack K-Keissath…” His voice remains quiet and shaky as Undertaker walks him into a dimly lit preparation room for the dead.  
  “What an interesting name~” The Undertaker chuckles and Zack nods light before swallowing and glancing up at him.  
  “M-might I a-ask wh-what y-your name m-might b-be?” Zack stutters the question out meekly and The Undertaker laughs some.  
  "You may call me what everyone calls me, lad~ I'm The Undertaker, most just leave out the The part but I don't really care. Now lets get you cleaned up a bit, first well wash you off!" Undertaker continues to giggle as he pulls what looked like a hanging tapestry to the side and reveals a narrow set of stairs that go up to the next floor in a spiral like fashion. "Upstairs is nothin' much but an attic so I sleep downstairs in the coffins and go upstairs to clean up, after all, you can't examine and create beauty before yourself without being clean~" Undertaker leads Zack up the stairs and he sees that on one side of the room is a mass of papers in piles upon piles and the other side is a tub a scrub and a bucket to move the water. Zack walks over hesitantly and looks over the tub and he glances at the tiles that cover the entire floor. His gaze briefly slides over the small tile blocks that keep any excess water from messing up the papers on the other side and Zack looks back to Undertaker.  
  "It's bigger than I imagined, I don't think I've ever seen a tub this big before." Zack meekly smiles at Undertaker who giggles.  
  "I'll go get more water but for now you can strip and dust out your clothes before washin' them in the bucket there." Undertaker points at a small wooden bucket in the corner that Zack hadn't noticed before. "After I'm done gettin' the water I'll let you borrow a set of my old clothes while yours dry~" Zack smiles more and nods vigorously.  
  "Thank you, Mr. Undertaker!" Undertaker chuckles and takes the moving bucket with him to go get water. Finally after several trips back and forth he comes back up with a change of cloths for Zack who is soaking lightly in the tub with his head leaned back and his eyes closed. Now that the dirt is cleaned off he looks even paler than before and Undertaker approached quietly before leaning over the tub a bit and looking down at Zack's face. A few strands of Undertaker's hair hang down and tickle Zack's face lightly making the boy open his eyes and look up into those gorgeous yellow, green eyes of the Shinigami.  
  "You almost look like a porcelain doll, I was starting to wonder if you were truly here." Undertaker's voice is quiet and Zack blushes lightly as he continues to stare up at Undertaker's face.  
  "I-I am..." Zack replies quietly and Undertaker smiles a smile that looks more real than any anyone had ever seen on his face. Undertaker's hand then slightly caresses Zack's cheek and his long nail causes a shiver to take Zack as he blushes a bit more.  
  "So you are~" Undertaker whispers and moves back holding out a white towel for Zack to come and dry off on. Zack smiles a bit and carefully gets out of the tub accepting the towel with small words of thanks as he wraps it around his thin body.  
  "U-um Undertaker?..." Zack asks lightly for the Shinigami's attention just as Undertaker was about to leave the boy to dry off and change. Undertaker turns and glances back at him.  
  "Yes?" His voice is almost sweet and Zack blushes again.  
  "I-I was j-just wondering i-if you'd a-allow m-me t-to stay h-here w-with you...?" Zack bites his lip lightly and Undertaker chuckles softly.  
  "As long as you don't mind a coffin next to mine as a bed then you may stay as long as you wish~" Zack looks up surprised and then a wide smile caresses his face.  
  "Oh thank you Mr. Undertaker! I'll work hard for my keep, I promise I will!" Zack is bouncing a bit with joy and Undertaker smiles like before again.  
  "I'll hold you to that promise~" Undertaker then goes back downstairs and Zack smiles almost childishly as he blushes and dries himself off.


	3. Earl's Visit

  "Undertaker, I need to speak with you now." A demanding voice wakes Zack from his sleep and he rouses slowly feeling a piece of parchment tickling his face. He reads the paper tiredly finding that Undertaker had business somewhere else and would be gone a few hours. Zack opens his comfortable coffin Undertaker had provided for him making a young child, dressed formally with blue black hair an eye patch and a deep blue eye, jump. "Undertaker, do you have to... do that..." The kid stops and glares at Zack. "Who the hell are you?" He demands and Zack sighs brushing through his hair lightly with his fingers.  
  "I'm Mr. Undertaker's assistant as of yesterday, my young lord." Zack's voice is unbemused as he steps out of the coffin and stretches. "Mr. Undertaker is not here at the moment and will be back later." He looks over the kid and then glances back at the man standing behind the boy. The man has short black hair and gleaming red eyes with a rather tall and thin frame.  
  "Fine then I'll wait here for him, go make me some tea or something." The young boy sits on a coffin and Zack rolls his eyes.  
  "I'm not your Nanny and I'm not your servant. If you want tea go across the street or something." Zack closes his coffin and takes out some matches before lighting a few candles around the room for better lighting. The boy glares in anger and shakes softly.  
  "Who the hell do you think I am!" The boy shouts and Zack sighs and stares down at the boy.  
  "If you're looking for your own name I have no clue but from my perspective you're a rather loud brat who's parent's didn't teach him good enough manners..." Zack's cheek stings from the blow the boy swung at him with his cane.  
  "I am the Earl Ciel Phantomhive don't forget that name, and never mention my parent's again." The boy glares down at Zack as he stands back up.   
  "Yes, my lord." Zack says curtly and Ciel turns away from his before going to sit on a different coffin away from Zack. The taller man from before and takes out a handkerchief to lightly dab at the now bleeding wound on Zack's face.  
  "Please forgive my master, mr.?" The man asks in a sickeningly fake way.  
  "Keissath, and you?" Zack asks holding out his hand kindly.  
  "Sebastian, but please do forgive my master Mr. Keissath. I'm afraid he lost his parents at quite a young age, for him it is a very touchy subject."  
  "Sebastian, I did not tell you to make small chat with the help, go get me some tea immediately." Ciel demands rudely and Sebastian sighs and bids farewell to Zack before leaving the shop and returning minutes later with a full on tray that holds a teapot, teacup, strainer, and a slice of cake. Ciel doesn't even thank him and just sips his drink pissily. Zack just rolls his eyes and starts checking over the coffins to see if any of them need repair or maintenance.  
  "To what do I owe the honor of the young Earl's visit to?" Undertaker asks after coming out from the back. Zack sighs in relief at Undertaker's arrival and continues his maintenance on a coffin that's lining had come undone.  
  "Firstly, get rid of the help." Ciel crosses his arms and glares at Zack who keeps his eyes on his work. "And after that I want information."  
  "Well I'm sorry to say young earl but I will be neither ditching my help or giving you any information today." Undertaker giggles and Zack smiles a bit as he relaxes.  
  "Why the hell not?" Ciel stands angrily and Undertaker smiles more darkly.  
  "Young earl, everything comes with a price. The price for you marking my precious little helper, that you so dubiously recommended I get, is that I will not help you today" Undertaker perches lightly on one of his coffins and Ciel glares more.  
  "You have no use for a disrespectful peasant!" Ciel stalks towards Zack and reaches for him only to have his hand caught short by Undertaker.  
  "I must warn you young earl, should you chose to harm my assistant in anyway again, I'll take your contract eye as recompense." Undertaker releases Ciel's arm and Sebastian yanks him away with a wary look to Undertaker. Ciel is badly shaken as he stares at the terrifyingly dark but smiling face Undertaker is making. Zack swallows and watches the confrontation quietly. "Should you ever need my services again young earl I suggest you gain a sense of humor and allow your butler to be the one to be dealing with me." Ciel glares and removes himself from Sebastian's arms so that he may stalk to the door of the parlor.  
  "Sebastian we're leaving, he clearly isn't going to talk with us." Ciel stats hotly and Sebastian follows opening the door for him and glancing back at Zack and Undertaker before responding.  
  "Yes, my lord." The door closes behind the two and Undertaker sighs before looking at Zack.  
  "Let me see that cut of yours." Undertaker's fingers slide under Zack's chin and tilt his head so that he may see the abrasion to Zack's porcelain skin. "Come on, we should disinfect this before it starts to swell to much." He lightly pulls Zack by the arm to the back and sits him down before gathering his supplies and moving back in front of him. As Undertaker dampens a cloths Zack swallows and stares up at him anxiously.  
   "I-I'm sorry for costing you your relations with the earl earlier..." Zack stutters softly and Undertaker gives him a gentle but true smile as he dabs lightly at the wound.  
  "My relations with Ciel have always been on unsteady ground what with my relations with his father before him. Losing that customer is less of a hardship than losing you." Undertaker stares into Zack's eyes his hair hanging in almost a tent like way and Zack blushes lightly.  
  "Th-thank you..." Zack whispers and Undertaker smiles a bit more.  
  "Anytime... Well lets get to fixing this wound of yours why don't we?" Undertaker takes out a needle and Zack swallows in fear.  
  "I-is that really necessary?" Zack squeaks.


	4. Training

  "As my assistant it is prudent that you know how to help me." Undertaker giggles and first dips his hands into some water before drying them off. Zack does the same and then follows Undertaker to the table where a body lays with a stained white cloth over it. "What we need to do first is examine the remains to see what killed them and make sure that we have all the pieces." Undertaker starts carefully pulling out the body apart and setting the pieces in different bowls after weighing them.  
  "This was quite the heavy set woman, she was a noble right?" Zack asks as he looks over the mutilated corpse.   
  "Only those with plenty of money to spare can leisurely become plump like this one." Undertaker chuckles softly. Once they are done weighing and cleaning the pieces he smiles more at Zack. "Now it's time to put her back together and make her beautiful."  
  "Beautiful?" Zack asks as he looks over the corpse. "How?"  
  "Put everything back where it belongs and sew her up nice and tight. We could even add a dash of color to the wounds!" Undertaker giggles and they set about the task. Zack starts carefully stitching up her arm as Undertaker stitches up her torso.  
  "Ow!" Zack exclaims as he stabs himself accidently in the finger with the needle. Undertaker walks around the table to him before taking Zack's hand in his own. "S-sorry." Zack apologizes and Undertaker chuckles softly.   
  "You have no reason to apologize, now let's patch you up, shall we?" Undertaker takes out a small section of bandage and wraps Zack's injured finger delicately. Zack blushed softly and watches Undertaker. "There, all done." Undertaker glances up and smiles lightly. "So cute when you blush." His long fingers caress the side of Zack's face before he turns and goes back to his place on the other side of the table to finish his work. Zack hesitantly finishes his own sewing before looking at Undertaker's handywork. His breath catches as he sees the carefully placed elegant stitches.  
  "How did you get to be so good at that?" Zack wonders aloud gaining a giggle from Undertaker.  
  "Years of practice. Now, let's finish making her beautiful." He adds a bit of die to the sewn wounds before patting them dry with a towel and then he turns to a wardrobe in the corner. Undertaker removes a white dress from inside and walks back over, he carefully sits the body up so that he can slide her arms and head into it. After that he starts slowly sliding the dress onto her the rest of the way as if he were dressing a doll. Zack watches quietly, completely enamored by Undertaker's elegance in the matter. "There." He gently picks up the now dressed woman and walks into the front of his store so that he could lay her down in the white flowers that fills her coffin. He carefully adjusts a few things to make her look absolutely gorgeous. Undertaker smiles softly at his work before glancing up to Zack. "While I'm away at the funeral and burial will you go to the store to grab a few things for me?"  
  "Y-yes, of course." Zack quickly takes the list that Undertaker pulls from his cloak and the small back of money. His eyes slide along the list before biting his lip and glancing up at Undertaker. "What does this word mean?" He asks shyly and points. Undertaker smiles lightly before replying.  
  "Lavender. I need the pure oil form of it but a few of the flowers are needed as well. They are light purple flowers that are very small and grow in bunches around a single stem. think you can find them?" Zack nods vigorously.  
  "Mhmn, I'll do my best!" Zack quickly grabs his jacket and exits the parlor leaving a smiling Undertaker behind.  
 **> ;3 Time Skip C:<**  
  Zack finally leaves the last shop with all of the things Undertaker had sent him out for in hand. His face is plastered with a delighted smile as he hurriedly walks down the street. Suddenly, someone steps into his path and he runs directly into them knocking him backwards and onto the ground. The bag in his arms falls from his grip and the contents spill out onto the ground.  
  "I'm so sorry! I should have been looking were I was going!" Zack rushedly starts picking up the spilled items and putting them back into the bag. Just as he's reaching for the last lavander flower that had spilled out a booted foot steps down on it and then rubs in deeper into the ground. Zack gasps out and shoves at the boot but the flower has already been destroyed. He angrily rears his head up to berate the person with insults only to stop short in terror.  
  "We been lookin' for you mate." The man says as he reaches for the fear frozen Zack.  
  "N-no!" Zack screams.


	5. Scars

  The ringing of the front door's bell calls Undertaker's attention to it. Zack stands in the doorway dripping from the storm that is raging outside, with his hair covering all of his face. Undertaker's shoulder's relax in relief.  
  "What took you so long lad? You should have been home hours before me, not after." Undertaker teases jokingly but Zack doesn't respond causing Undertaker reason to worry. He slowly walks to Zack. "What's the matter? You should come in and warm your bones lad..." His eyes widen a fraction as he takes in the roughed up appearance of his assistant that he had not noticed in the dim light. "Zack?" He whispers as he reaches out a hand to Zack. Zack flinches away from the hand and looks up at Undertaker, around his showing eye are cuts from being punched and having his face pushed into the ground. Bits of rock and clumped mud lay about Zack's figure and his wounds continue to bleed as he shivers. His eye is hazed as though it was looking through Undertaker before it finally focuses on him and then it tears up. He takes a sickle quick step forward and buries his face into the material of Undertaker's robes. Undertaker hugs Zack close to him, gently rocking and patting the boy's head. "Shhh, it's alright now. I'm here." Zack continues to cling to Undertaker and shiver before finally giving Undertaker the room to close the door and direct him to the nearest sitting place.  
   "Undertaker..." Zack speaks softly and Undertaker loosens his grip on him enough to look down.  
  "Yes?" Zack raises his head letting his eye tearing up eye meet with Undertaker's.  
  "Make me forget." His tears spill out his eye and Undertaker's own eyes widen in surprise.  
  "What?" He stares down into Zack's crying face.  
  "Please, even if it's only for a little while... make me forget." Zack clings to Undertaker's robe as though it were a life raft and lowers his face.  
  "...Alright." Undertaker slides his long fingers under Zack's chin and raises it so that they can stare eye to eye. "I'm give you the only distraction I can from this world." His yellow green eyes stare into Zack's bright blue one as he gently pushes Zack back to lay on the coffin as he looms over him lightly. Undertaker's hand gently pushes the hair away from Zack's pale face revealing rugged scars mutilating Zack's face in deep lines that run over his eye lid. The eye opens showing a dulled eye that can see nothing but darkness.  
  "Maybe if I had died from the start I could have become like the beautiful dolls you make..." Zack whispers softly and Undertaker smiles softly and truly.  
  "To me, you are more beautiful than any doll I could make." He leans down and captures Zack's lips in a gently kiss. After a few seconds Zack responds and kisses back, his finger fiddle lightly and loosen Undertaker's robes so that he can easily pull them off leaving Undertaker in a black pair of leather pants lined in belts and buckles up and down the legs. The scars that line his body ripple lightly with his lean muscular body making Zack blush deeply when  Undertaker leans back a bit to pull his hair out of his face and stare down and Zack.  
  "Gorgeous..." Zack whispers and lets his fingers explore every scar on the pale skin making Undertaker shiver and smile lightly, sliding his own fingers along Zack's scars as he undoes Zack's shirt. When the article of clothing is removed Undertaker's fingers take to carefully sliding over the bruises, cuts, and scars that line the boy's thin body. His hesitation to mare him any worse shows on his face. Zack takes his hands lightly and with one of them he intertwines his fingers while he brings the other to his lips and kisses it gently while leaning into it as well. "Mark me so deep that nothing else will matter..." he whispers and Undertaker leans down to kiss Zack's neck then collar bone leaving small marks of his own as he goes.  
  "As you wish." Undertaker replies with a small smirk.  
 **> ;3 Time Skip C:<**  
  Undertaker listens to the slow even breathing of the person sleeping next to him. Zack's head lays gently cradled on Undertaker's arm as the rest of his body lays closely lining Undertaker's. A thin blanket lays over both of them but leaves Undertaker's chest and shoulders bear to the warm air of the parlor. The remnants of their activities lye in a thick mist in the air. Undertaker lets his fingers lightly ghost over Zack's pale skin before brushing his mussed hair out of the way to reveal his scarred eye. Zack slowly rouses and opens his good eye to stare into Undertaker's.  
  "You keep becoming more and more beautiful everytime I see you." Undertaker whispers softly making Zack smile and blush lightly.  
  "Only my handsome undertaker would say something like that to me." Undertaker chuckles.  
  "If no one else sees your beauty then I'll have you all the more to myself." He leans in and kisses Zack's lips deeply.  
  "Then never let go of me. Ever." Zack whispers after their kiss ends and Undertaker smiles lightly.  
  "How could I ever leave such a cute doll alone? Lest someone were to come and snatch me love from me."


	6. Name You Mine

Zack stands in the back section of the parlor, tending to a rather appealing young woman's corpse. While Undertaker is up from by the door having his dealings with the Phantomhive butler, Sebastian. The job of the body was quick and the paperwork is mindless to Zack by now. Several months have passed since their rainy night of lust. Though they have only done 'that' together once, the mutual feelings between the two still show. They appear in soft whispers upon passing in the room, gentle caresses  of the skin, and silent kisses in the dark.  
  After Zack's last excursion, Undertaker took extra care as to where he kept Zack and began training him more thoroughly in the arts of making a body beautiful. The bruises are long since gone, and the cuts have healed well with Undertaker's supervision. Even the old scars seem to be doing better with Undertaker's care.  
  "Undertaker, here are the papers. She was the last one for today," Zack's hair has grown a bit since before and is now long enough for him to pull back out of his way, while still leaving some room for the bangs over his eye. Undertaker takes the papers carefully and smiles, holding a bit of the bang in his long fingers. A soft blush tints Zack's cheeks and he down casts his eyes.  
  "Your hair is getting longer," he murmurs and Zack blushes more as he nods.  
  "I-It is," he agrees. Undertaker releases the hair in an almost sad to do so way. Zack walks back towards the table where he'd been working and starts to clean it.  
  "The two of you seem to have gotten closer," Sebastian remarks with a small smirk.  
  "We have..." Undertaker replies but hesitates with a small frown on his lips. "May I speak with you, in private? Not as butler to the Phantomhive household but as an immortal..."Sebastian's eyes narrow and he hesitates before agreeing. "I'll be back in a moment, please keep the shop while I'm gone," he says to Zack who nods and watches them go.  
  "You've grown much fonder of that human than I had thought..." Sebastian surmises as they stand in the alley next to the Parlor.  
  "I have..." Undertaker's hand slowly pulls his bangs back and he leans back with the movement. "It's become dangerous. Humans are fragile creatures, to begin with, and he is even more so than the others... I worry all through the night that if I close my eyes he'll be gone in the next moment..." Undertaker whispers and Sebastian's face forms a concerned look.  
  "It would be much simpler, and easier, for you to let him go now. Before anything happens..."  
  "It's already too late for that... Sebastian... I love him..." the words sound as though they almost choke him before he says them and Sebastian's eyes widen. He opens his mouth to say something in reply but soon closes it at the presence of Grell appearing.  
  "That's quite the declaration," Grell hops off of the roof into the alley where they are.  
  "I suppose you're skipping work again?" Undertaker asks.  
  "Actually, I'm here to warn you."  
  "Warn me?"  
  "He has only one week left. Spend it well."  
  "Why warn me?" Undertaker asks suspiciously and Grell pouts.  
  "I'm just giving you a heads up before you become free for the rest of us again," a dark look seems to creep into Undertaker's eyes.  
  "When?"  
  "When what?"  
  "When is it going to happen?" Grell looks at him guardedly before conceding.  
 "September 16th, at 6:12 pm... Will has already set people to make sure you don't interfere..." Grell stares apologetically up at Undertaker who seems to deflate slightly.  
  "Guess I can stop worrying about when it will happen, huh?" he looks almost defeated as he walks back out of the alley and into his Parlor.  
  "Undertaker, I was thinking about giving you a nickname. You know, something short and cute," Zack smiles brightly at him making him smile back.  
  "What are the running ideas?"  
  "Hmmm, Maybe Taker...Nah, that sounds like a thief's name..." Undertaker chuckles softly. "How about, Take?"  
 "Take? What do I take exactly?" he asks curiously and Zack pauses as his blush grows.  
  "W-well, you take corpses and make them beautiful. Y-you take paperwork and make it more useful to others... Y-you've taken me and created a better person," his blush grows as he mumbles the last bit and Undertaker smiles. His long fingers slide under Zack's chin and lifts it up.  
  "I'm about to take your lips too," Zack takes a soft breath in excitement and blushes me.  
  "Why take them, when I'll offer them up willingly?" he stands up a little taller and onto his toes to reach Undertaker's lips. He kisses back the second he feels Zack's lips and wraps his arms around the man's waist.  
  "I need to tell you something," Undertaker states after the kiss ends and Zack looks up at him happily.  
  "Yes?" the words he would have used fail him and he smiles in an off way.  
  "I love the nickname, but only you can use it for me," Zack smiles more and kisses him again.  
  "Does that mean that I've named you mine?"  
  "Yes," Undertaker takes him into a rather warm and tight hug but his face scrunches with the pain of knowledge. "I will always be yours..."


	7. Warm Days

_**~~IIII~~ II** _

 

  "Take, slow down! Please!" Zack shouts to Undertaker. The day is warm and the Undertaker's parlor is closed for the day. "Where are we even going?" Undertaker is holding a picnic basket as he walks along a dirt road outside of town.  
  "There's a particularly beautiful tree in a field nearby. I thought we could use a break from work."  
  "So we're going on a picnic?"  
  "Yep," Undertaker smiles brightly at Zack who just chuckles and rolls his eyes a bit.  
  "You could have just told me that from the start," Undertaker just laughs in response as they continue to walk.  
 **-**  
  The spot is on a small hill with a large oak at the top of it in all of it's mighty glory. The wind is blowing Zack's hair around quite a bit so Undertaker ties it all back for him.  
  "What about yours?" Zack slides his pale fingers through the silver strands. Undertaker smiles and kisses the hand.  
  "It's fine," They set out the cloth and the different foods on the ground before sitting next to each other. Near to no talking goes on between the two until Zack rests his head on Undertaker's shoulder.  
  "Have I looked tired lately?"  
  "Not particularly. Why?"  
  "Because you've been acting differently around be since that night," Zack's eyes are down cast to his hands as he continues to speak. "You're always keeping me from going out like before, not that I mind that! I'm perfectly happy to just stay around the parlor all of the time... But it's not just that," he's fiddling with his fingers. "You're always worried when I accidentally poke myself with the needle. You almost never sleep through the night without checking on me and becoming restless. You're acting like I'm just going to disappear in front of you..." Undertaker doesn't respond and his face takes on a solemn and sad look. "Take?" Zack is looking up at him and has a hand grasping his. "What's wrong?"  
  "Nothing..." Undertaker pulls Zack into a tight hug.  
  "I won't pry if you don't want to tell me, but please say that it isn't nothing," Zack hugs him back and nuzzles his head into Undertaker's chest.  
  "...Thank you..." tears are brimming in Undertaker's eyes as he hugs Zack tighter.

 

_**~~IIII~~ I** _

 

  "Take, all of the paperwork is done for today. Do you want to go get some tea or something?" Zack pokes his head into the back room and Undertaker smiles.  
  "That sounds lovely."  
  "Good, because I found a really nice shop, just down the street, the other day," Zack is smiling brightly.  
  "I'll be right out, just have to clean up a bit before we go."  
  "Okay."

 

  
_**~~IIII~~**_  

 

  Undertaker has Zack pinned in the back room as he kisses him deeply.  
  "A-ah, Take, there are clients up front!" Zack attempts to protest and Undertaker smirks.  
  "Then we'll just have to keep our voices down, now won't we?" Zack blushes deeply at the preditorial growl in the man's voice.  
  "Bu-but," Undertaker breaks him off with another deep kiss.

 

_**IIII** _

 

  "Zack, let's go shopping together," Undertaker is lounging on top of a coffin near by and Zack raises an eyebrow.  
  "Why so sudden?"  
  "It's not sudden at all! It's been ages since we last went out for stuff together!"  
 "Well... alright, but only after I finish this coffin."  
  "Yeah!" Undertaker smiles brightly and fidgets on top of the coffin.  
  "You've become more and more restless lately, haven't you?" Undertaker freezes a looks else where.  
  "Have I?"  
  "You have."  
  "Oh..." Zack glances at him and frowns before kissing him on the top of the head. "Alright, let's go."  
  "Okay."

 

_**III** _

 

  "Take, I'm not kidding, you should lay down. You look like hell!"  
  "I'm fine, just a little tired," deep bags are forming under Undertaker's eyes, and his face seems to be getting paler.  
  "No you aren't. Now lay down. I'll be right back with some medicine," Undertaker grabs his wrist as soon as the words out of his mouth. "Take?"  
  "Please... I'll lay down... just don't leave me..." Zack's face softens and he nods.  
  "Alright, I'll stay with you."

 

_**II** _

 

  "How are you feeling, Take?"  
  "Better."  
  "Liar. You look worse," Zack is laying next to Undertaker in their coffin. Undertaker just chuckles.  
  "I've been worse."  
  "... Does this have anything to do with why you've been acting strangely?" Zack's voice is soft as his fingers are tightly holding to the fabric of Undertaker's shirt. "Take... are you dying or so-something?" tears are brimming in Zack's eyes. Undertaker hesitates before gently hugging him closer.  
  "If I told you that I wish I was, what would you say?" Zack tenses up and holds onto him tighter.  
  "I-I'd tell you that you're an idiot a-and you'd better not," Undertaker chuckles. "Why?" Zack looks up at him, the tears streaming out of his eyes. "Why do you wish something like that?" Undertaker's voice catches in his throat and his face takes on the pain of a dying man.  
  "Because... I... you...." tears drip out of his own eyes and Zack stares with wide eyes. "I don't want to lose you..." he finally chokes out at hugs Zack tighter.  
  "You're not going to! I'm not going anywhere, so please don't cry!" Zack tries to wipe away the tears from Undertaker's face.

 

_**I** _

 

  "Zack?"Undertaker sits up in the darkness of his parlor and looks around.  
  "He's out getting medicine for your fever," William is sitting nearby reading.  
  "What time is it?" Undertaker's heart is pounding in his chest.  
  "5:36 p.m. You can run and look for him now, but you won't be able to save him now," he flips the page in his book and Undertaker bolts for the door. "Best of luck..." Undertaker almost misses the whisper as he exits the parlor.

**_\- ( 5:24 pm) -_ **

  Rain begins to pour down on the stone streets making Zack take cover under a shops over hang for a second. Two men walk deliberately towards him and he recognizes them. Instinct takes over and Zack starts running down the street. Other's block his direct route to the parlor making him run further and further from his home.

**_\- (5:32 pm) -_ **

  "Excuse me? I seem to be lost, can you tell me how to get ba..." the guy he'd stop to ask turn and smirks. "A-ah, never mind... I-I'll just be going..." The guy goes to grab him only catching hold of the medicine back Zack had in his hands. "L-let go of th-that! I-It's for s-some o-one important to me!" The guy snickers and starts pulling Zack closer with the bag.  
  "Too bad," Zack hesitates before letting go of the bag.  
  "I-I'll buy more another time..." he runs down the street way from the guy.

**_\- (5:41 pm) -_ **

  "Zack?!" Undertaker shouts as he runs towards the doctor's shop. When he arrives the doors are already closed and the lights dark inside. "Zack..." he jumps up onto the roof and starts looking around the streets closest. "Zack?!"

**_-(5:53 pm) -_ **

  Zack's breath is coming out in white billows as he shivers and hides in an alley off of the main street.  
  "He went this way!" someone shouts at other end of the alley making Zack take off out onto the street again. The rain is getting so back that he can barely see to the other side. The sounds of horses to his right are heard all too late.

**_\- (6:02 pm) -_ **

  "ZACK!" Undertaker screams out when he finally sees him... but it's already too late... The people who were in the carriage are hanging back a bit and the carriage itself is a few feet away. He jumps down and slides down next to Zack. The rain is starting to lessen and the blood is starting to pool.  
  Zack is laying on his right shoulder with his  face down and his left hip slightly tilted towards the ground. His left hand is laying limply in front of him with his elbow bent and his right hand is under his chest. Undertaker hesitates to touch him before carefully rolling him over onto his back.  
  "Zack..." he chokedly whispers. His clothes are soaked and torn. Deep gashes show from under the tears in his clothes. A log one lines his cheek and his hair sticks in patches to his face. A small trickle of blood leaks from the corner of his mouth. Undertaker gently caresses the side of his face before picking his upper body up enough to cradle it. "Zack..." his tears mix in with the streams of water still coming down.

**_\- (6:07 pm) -_ **

  "Take..." shock takes Undertaker over as he sharply opens his eyes and looks down. His eyes meet with one unfocused blue eye, and one blue-grey hazy one. "You came for me..." sobs shake his body as he hugs him more closely.  
  "I-I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" Zack weakly reaches a hand up and moves the hair out of Undertaker's face.  
  "I-It's okay... Y-You were th-the one w-worrying y-yourself sick a-about this..."  
  "I should have said something! Anything! I should have kept you closer to me!" tears are streaming down his cheeks as he drops his head onto Zack's chest.  
  "Shhhh, shhhh..." Zack softly hushes him. "It's okay..."  
  "N-no! It's not!" Grell and William stand off to the side watching silently.

**_\- (6:12 pm) -_ **

  "Take.. I-I..." Zack's breathing is becoming rough and uneven.  
  "Y-you shouldn't speak right now! Save your energy... I'll make you better... somehow..."  
  "Shhh, shhh, shhh..." Zack smiles softly at him. "I-I love you, Take," Undertaker completely breaks down.  
  "I love you too. S-so you have to survive... Please...." Zack slowly lifts himself up and kisses Undertaker softly. Undertaker kisses back gently and holds him closer. Zack's hand drops and his head falls back limply, ending their kiss. "No... No... No..." Undertaker moans and he clutches Zack closer to him. "please... no..." Grell and William are gone.

**_\- (...) -_ **

  "The end mark of the cinematic record that arrives along with every death. By connecting these fake records to them, I made it so that the END would never come." Undertaker smiles as he holds Zack close to him muttering to himself. Zack moves and hugs him back. The dim lighting showing the unhealing stitches along Zack's pale skin. "Because, I can't live on, without my little doll by my side."


End file.
